‘Truth’s’ NC-17 rating is upheld

The producers of “Where the Truth Lies,” a film with Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth and Alison Lohman that is due to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival next week, have lost an appeal to change its explicit rating, a development that will severely limit its distribution in the U.S.

The Motion Picture Assn. of America gave the film, which contains several explicit sex scenes, a rare NC-17 rating about a month ago. The rating means no one age 17 and under can see the film in theaters.

The film’s distributor, ThinkFilm, lost its appeal this week and must now decide whether to release the film in the U.S. with the NC-17 rating or release it unrated. Either way, many theaters, especially outside of L.A. and New York, will be hesitant to book the film and many newspapers and television stations will not accept advertising for it.